Deep well pump



Oct. 21, 1941. w. F. TEBBETTS. JR

DEEP WELL PUMP 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March l1,

INVENTOR.

1151 l v A V""`VVVV 0t- 21, 1941- uw. F. TEBBETTS, JR

DEEP WELL PUMP Filed March 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "win im INVENT OR. Tebbes; fr

' 14H01 Lely Patented Oct, 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATEN'I,L OFFICE 2,260,127 I DEEP WELL PUMP wiuiem'r. retienen., Los Angeles, celu. Application March 11, 1940, serial No. 323,325`

' s claims. (c1. 10s-4s) The present invention relates generally to deep Well pumps and although necessarily embodying' a pumping device in practise, relates more particularly to a subsurface actuator controlled by.

pressure'at the surface, with the primary object of simplifying and reducing the cost of production of known devices of this nature, as well as increasing exibility of application and use.

A further object involves the adaptability of the invention to various types of oil wellpumpingdevices.

A still further object is the provision of a pump actuator having but a single moving part without valvesand of durable, long-wearing nature by reason of its simple, rugged character,

and the elimination of wear from sand.

A still further object relates to the readiness and ease with which the actuator and pumping device may be removed as a unit from a well, and

' its adaptability to ready regulation as to speedY by the regulation of pressure input. y

Another object of the invention relates' to the adaptability .of the actuator to the use of either a compressible or a non-compressible pressure.

fluid.

Many other objects will be understood in connection with the hereinafter specified advantages in the construction 4and use of the invention which, in its preferred form, will be described in detail and more thoroughly appreciated from such description, by reference t the accompanyd ing drawings, illustrating the same and forming a part of this specification.

In these drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional side View of my invention, with many parts thereof broken away for` better illustration, and with the-lower pump portion thereof in detached elevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View through the lower pump portion of the apparatus, somewhat enarged, showing a usable type of oil well pump.

Figure 3 is a Vertical sectional view through a portion of the apparatus, showing certain of the parts thereof including the motor piston working barrel dropped to a position for removal of the standing valve.

a motor piston I0 of hollow-cylindrical form, slidable 'vertically in an elongated motor working barrel II to the upper end of which an upper cushion cylinder\ I2 is connected-,l This cylinder has an axial bore I3 of substantially reduced diameter with respect to the working barrel, to receive therein the slidably intertting, reduced tubular upstanding piston extension I4 when the piston I0 moves toward the upper limit of its stroke.

To the lower end of the working barrel II of the motor piston I0 is connected a' lower cushion cylinder I5 having a lower axial bore I6 to receive in slidably intertting relation the reduced tubular depending piston extension I1 whenthe piston moves downwardly to its lower position in the barrel Il. The barrel II and its upper and lower cushion cylinders I2 and I5 thus constitute a rigid motor piston working unit with the motor piston movable vertically in the central portion between said space I8 and the said cylinder bore` ,to thus cushion the piston as it nears lthe limit of its `upward stroke.

Similarly the lower piston extension II enters cylinder bore I6 when the piston moves downspace'20 below the piston is then afforded graduf adjacent the upper end of the lower cylinder I5.

Figures 4 and 5 are detail transversesectional views taken respectively on lines 4-4 and 5-5 of Figure 3, and, l

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion of the lower motor piston extension.

Referring now to the above described drawings, and particularly to Figure l, my invention proposes a pump actuator which essentially comally limited communication with the exterior of the barrel or the space within a casing 22 surrounding the same and spaced therefrom, until the piston reaches the end of its downward travel To the lower end of the lower extension II of the piston I0, a somewhat smaller connecting tube I'Ia depends substantially below the working unit of the actuator and, as presently described, is connected at its lower end to the plunger of a pump, sothat as the motor piston said upper end with a laterally projecting pressure receiving and outlet pipe 24 connected to The motor piston unit is supported in vertically adjustable relation in the casing 22 by a suspension tube 25 whose lower end is conencted to the upper cylinder I2 and whose upper portion extends above and through the casing 23 in which it is held in adjusted position by slips 26. It will Ibe noted that the casing head 23 supports packing 21 therein around the suspension tube 25 at a point above the pipe 24 and that above the casing head the extended portion of the pipe or tube 25 has a manual cut off valve 28 and is connected to a pressure receiving and production oil pipe 29 by readily detachable means.

The pipes 24 and 29 are shown extending into one side of the casing 30 of a Vpiston type of control valvel the valve member 3| of which, when moved to one position, places pipe 29 in communication with a pressure supply pipe 32 and pipe 24 in communication with a pressure relief pipe 33. In its other position valve member 3| places pipe 29 in communication with a production oil outlet pipe 34 and places pipe 24 in communication with the pressure supply pipe 32, and at the same time closes pressure relief pipe 33.

At one end, valve member 3| may be provided exteriorly of the valve casing 33 with the core 35 of a solenoid having two coils 33 and 31, each of which is connected at one side to'one side of a battery or other suitable source of current supply 38, these connecting wires being indicated at 39 and 49 respectively.

At its other side coil 36 is connected by a wire 4|', to the movable piston part 42 of 4a pressure actuated, spring controlled switch, which part is' exposed in a switch box 43 to pressure in pipe 29, and is normally spacedby its spring, from the stationary contact piece 44. The contact piece 44 is connected by a wire 45 with the other side of the battery 33.

Similarly, the other side of solenoid coil 31 may be connected by a wire 46 to the movable piston part 41 of a pressure actuated, spring controlled switch, exposed in a switch box 43 to pressure in pipe 24. The switch part 41 is normally spaced by its spring from a stationary contact Y 49, connected by a wire 59 to the battery 33.

Thus when pressure in pipe 24 reaches a point where the spring of switch part 41 is overcome, this switch part moves into contact with part 49 and a circuit is closed through the solenoid coil 31, thus shifting the piston valve 3| to the position shown in Figure 1. Thus production pipe 34 is closed, pressure-supply pipe 29 is opened to supply pipe 32, and pressure relief pipe 33 is opened to pipe 24. The result is a vent or outlet'is opened yfor pressure within the casing 22 around the motor unit and thus for the pressure space Awithin the piston barrel below piston l0.

At the same time pressure is supplied through pipe 29 into the upper end oi' suspension pipe and through the latter into the space I3 of the barrel above the piston so that it eiectively operates against the full diameter of the piston I9 and thus creates a differential between the same and any oil pressure rising through the piston by reason of its downward movement and the downward movement thereby of the plunger of the oil well pump which is of substantially smaller bore than that of the piston.

Suitable pressure, either clean oil or gas may be' supplied through supply pipe 32 from any suitable source for operating therpiston, Aand it may in some instances be of advantage to utilize a compressible iluid, such as gas, for' the downward stroke of the piston I9 in the manner above described.

As the piston i0 moves downwardly in its barrel for the reasons above set forth, it gradually closes oft' thel openings 2| of the wall of the barrel and thus creates an increasing hydraulic cushion which adds to the pressure of that supplied as above and that of the oil upfiowing through the piston I0 into the space I3 and suspension pipe 25. This pressure iinally reaches a point where it overcomes the spring of piston switch 42 whereupon the latter is shifted against contact 44, thus closing a circuit through solenoid coil and shifting the piston valve 3| to openings 2|, thus gradually-raising the motor piston |'0 and forcing the previously raised oil from the upper space |3 upwardly through pipes 25 and 29 to the production outlet pipe 34.

'I'he use of clean oil is important in this latter operation, since it functions to clean the barrel in advance of the upwardly moving motor piston Ill. For 'this purpose piston I0 has a vertical' groove in its external surface at its lower end as seen at 5| in Figures 1 and 3, below its rings 52, and, an annular externalgroove 53 `above said rings. It is also provided interiorly thereof with a tubular conduit 54, one en d of which is in communication with groove 5| and the other end of which is in communication with groove 53. In this conduit is a check valve 65 which opens upwardly toward annular groove 53.

During upward movement of the motor piston I0, pressure inthe lower space 20 `forces sufficient clean oil through conduit 54 and, by way of groove 53, around the upper portion of the pist0n, to thoroughly scavenge the wall of the barrel and wash upwardly any sand which may have settled from the oil in the upper space |3.

It should be remembered that during the above cleaning operation, while the lower space 23 of the barrel has nothing but clean oil therein, the upper space I3, being in the production line, may have sandy oil therein, which in the absence of means for lubricating and cleaning the path of the piston, would mean rapid wear of the relatively movingvparts.

Obviously the actuator as thus described will function with many small bore types of pumps, in fact any standard oil well pump of ,sumciently small bore to allow a differential area between suc'h bore and the bore of the motor working barrel, may be used. One such Ipump has, for

of the connecting tube I1a` and may thus be readily respaced in its barrel or jacket 51 by raising' or lowering the suspension pipe 25 with respect to the casing head 23.

In the fluid pump illustrated, the lower end of the barrel or jacket 51 is shown as connected'by a top collar 60 to a nipple 6I, whose lower end may be connected by a lower or tubing collar 6Ia t an extension shoe 62 having therein means providing for the ring or other lock 63 of the standing valve cage 6B.

To the cage 66, above the standing valve 65, is secured the standing valve puller pin 66, having outstanding trunnions for cooper-ation with the internal bayonet grooves 61 of the standing valve puller bushing 68 carried by thelower end of the pump plunger 58 below the travelling valve 59.

The pulling of the standing valve, in this instance, requires that the pump plunger 58 be v turned from the surface of the ground, and it will be noted that the suspension pipe 25, though capable of ready lowering to permit the downward movement of the bushing 68 to the puller pin 66, cannot convey turning movement to the motor piston and connecting tube Ila. For this reason the depending motor piston extension I1 has an external vertical rib 69 as plainly seenl in Figures 1, 5 and 6. When the motor piston I8 moves downwardly, its extension I1 moves into slidably interiitting relation within the bore I6 of cylinder I5, as hereinbefore stated, the upper portion of said cylinder having .a counter-bore 10 into which the rib 69 of said extension I1 drops. Cylinder I5 has inits said counter-bore a vertical rib 1I, as plainly seen in Figure 5, and thus with the motor piston in lowered position, and the rib 69 in counter-bore 18 and circumferentially opposed to rib 1I, turning movement may be communicated from the motor working barrel II, and consequently from the suspension pipe to the motor piston I8 and its depending extension I1 and connecting tube 11a, for the above purpose.-

Preferably, the ribs 69 and 1I have tapered lower and upper ends respectively, so that in normal operation of the motor piston, there will be no danger of the interruption of its full downward movement by reason of endwise engagement of these ribs.

It will -be readily understood from the-foregoing that in case the pump actuator of this invention is used with a pump such as that illustrated, and

it becomes desirable to pull the standing valve, it is only necessary to rst see that the motor piston is at the lowermost point of its downstroke, and l then close the manual valve 28 yin that portion of the suspension pipe 25 above the casing head 23. 'I'his will hold the pressure in the pipe and consequently hold the piston in lowered position.

The pipe 25 is then slightly raised, after detachment from pipe 29, the slips 26 are removed, and pipe 25 lowered until bushing 68 is around the puller pin 66. Atthis time the rib 69 will be device, including the standing valve, may be easily withdrawn by reason of dropping the uid load. The -invention thus provides a very flexible pump actuator, which is without sub-surface valves, which is readily adjustable for the pur- One of the important advantages of the inn vention, partially involved in the pressure washing oi the motor piston wall by clean oil from the lower chamber or space 20 of the barrel II, lies in the fact. that since the outflow line for production vfluid is confined to the connecting tube Ila, above the standing valve, clean uid from space 26 may also proceed downwardly under pressure and lubricate the pump plunger as well as wash and cleanse the wall against which it works, so that all working parts ofthe pump as well as the pump actuator will be substantially protected from, and proof against, sand wear.

Moreover, While I have shown and described the best mode so far devised for carrying the invention into practise, it may be susceptible of changes both as to construction anduse, and should be understood as including all such changes and modilcationsthereof as fall within its spirit and within the terms of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a deep well pumping mechanism, a casing, a casing head thereon, a suspensionpipe depending into the casing from said head, means for alternating the feed of pressure fluid into said casing and said suspension pipe, a barrel within, and spaced from, the casing, and in communication at its lower portion therewith, said barrel being in connection and open communication at its upper end with said suspension pipe and supported thereby, a well pump of substantially smaller bore than said barrel supported by the lower end of the casing and having a vertically reciprocating plunger, a hollow valveless motor piston reciprocating in said barrel and subject to pressure atA its lower endfrom the casing and at its upper end from the suspension pipe, and a connecting tube depending from said piston and vin connection at its lower end with the pump plunger and forming a production outflow line in constant open communication through the piston, with upper portion of the barrel-and the suspension pipe. A

2. In a deep well pumping mechanism, a subsurface pump actuator including a vertically reciprocating valveless motor piston having a passage vertically therethrough, a barrel in which said piston operates, a pressure feed pipe havthan the barrel and including an operating plunger connected to and communicating with the lower end of said connecting tube, and means forming a rotatable connection between the piston and the barrel when the piston is in the lower portion of the barrel.

3. The combination with a small bore well pump, a pump actuator therefor, including a reciprocating motor piston, a barrel in which said piston reciprocates, means for alternating the feed of pressure fluid -to the upperrand lower ends of said barrel, means depending from the and provided piston and in communication with the barrel above the piston for connecting the same to said v well pump, saidpiston having external grooves adjacent its upper and lower ends, and a valved Iconduit therein communicating between said grooves and having a pressure receiving end open through the lower groove into the space,

` below thepiston.

4. In a deep well pumping mechanism, in com"- bination with a small bore pump including a Jacket and a pluger, a sub-surface actuator including a hollow valveless motor piston, a barrel of substantially greater bore than said pump in which said piston reciprocates, a tubular connecting rod depending from said piston and connected to said pump plungerv to form with the piston a production outflow line from the plunger into the barrel above the piston, a casing around and spaced from said barrel and connected at` its lower endto the pump jacket, a casing head at the upper end of said casing, a pressure feed.

pipe opening into said casing, said barrel having a vertical series of openings adjacent to its lower end communicating between its space below the piston and the space within the casing, a suspension pipe in connection and communication at. its lower end`with the upper end of the barrel munication at its lower portion with the casing,

awell pump of substantiallysmaller bore than said barrel, located in the casing below the barrel and including a reciprocating plunger, a connecting tube rising from said. plunger into the lbarrel, a. hollow valveless motor piston slidably intertting the ba'rrel and fixed on the upper end of -said tube to form, with thelatter an outflow line in constant open communication with the upper portion of the barrel and production pipe during both upward and downward strokes of the piston, said piston presenting a pressure surface varound its top opening of greater area than the bore of the pump whereby to force upilow of liquid through the motor piston from the plunger tube into the production pipe against uid pressure in said pipe acting to force the and extending at its upper portion through and f above the casing head, means for adjustably supporting the suspension tubein the casing head, a pressure feed and production outow pipe connected to the external portion of said suspension pipe above the casing head, pressure controlled means for alternating feed of pressure into the said pressure feed pipes, and a reduced upstand- 'ing neck portion carried by the piston and movable upwardly therewith into the suspension pipe with a vertical series of openings through the wall thereof. l

5. In a deep well pump, a small bore well pump including a reciprocating plunger, a uid pressure' actuated motor piston having a constantly open passage therethrough and presenting a top' surface of substantially greater area than the pump bore, a barrel in which said piston is slid` j able and into which the upper end of the piston passage opens at all times, a tube rising from the pump plunger and connected vin constantly open communication' at itsk upper end with the -sure receiving means in its lower portion for causing upward movement of the piston, and a combinediluid pressure andproduction pipe rising from the upper end portion of the barrel and through which uid pressure acts against the said upper surface of the piston to cause its downstroke in the presenceof, and against, the rising liquid.

6. In a deep well pumping mechanism, a casing, a combined fiuicl` pressure receiving and liquid production pipe depending within the casing, means for providing uid pressure within the casing and within the said production pipe, a barrel within the casing connected, and in constantly open communication, at its upper end portion with said production pipe and in compiston in a downward direction.

7. In combination with a small bore well pump having a plunger, a; tube rising from said plunger for the upward flow of liquid on thev downstroke of the plunger, a cylindrical barrel into which the upper end of said tube extends, a motor piston xed on the upper end of the tube and slidably interfitting the barrel, having a constantly open liquid passage through which the plunger tube is in communication at all times with that portion of the barrel above the piston. a liquid outflow 'pipe in constant open communication with the upper portion of the barrel and, through the piston, with the plunger tule, said motor piston presenting an upper fluid pressure receiving surface of greater area than the bore of the pump for causing downward movement of the piston and the pump plunger by outflow pipe pressure and in the presence of, and against,

upilow of liquid from the plunger through the piston into the outflow pipe, and means for alternately feeding pressure into the lower portion of the barrel below the motor piston, and downwardly through the outflow pipe against the said upper surface of the motor piston.

8. In a deep well pump, in combination, a valveless motor piston having a fluid passage therethrough, a barrel in which said piston is vertically .slidable and into the upperportion of whichthe iiuid passage of the piston is open at all times,

a well pump having a plunger, a tube connectingA the piston with said pump plunger and by means of which well liquid is forced upwardly through the piston passage when the piston and plunger are on the downstroke. an eduction pipe in constant open communication'with the upper portion of the barrel to receive well liquid therefrom, and means for alternately providing clean pressure fluid, and relieving pressure thereof, within the lower portion of the barrel below the piston,

whereby the latter, the upper surface of which is exposed at all times to the pressure of the liquid risingv in the eduction pipe, will be alternately moved upwardly an downwardly and at the same time thoroughly l bricated and flushed by clean iluid, said upper surface of the piston y presenting an area substantially greater than the bore of the pump, whereby upon relief of uid pressure below the piston, fluid pressure above the latter will cause downward movement thereof against the pressure of well liquid rising, there- `through.

' WILLIAM F. TEBBE'I'IS, Ja. 

